Black, Grey, Gold
by spectacularities
Summary: Hermione returns as Head Girl for her 7th year in Hogwart's without Harry and Ron. With Blaise made Headboy and his best mate, Draco always around, whats a girl to do? BZ/HG/DM but not BZ/DM compliant. Rated MA for language and later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Author****'****s Note **: Heya guys! So, the concept of this story has _really_ got me excited to write. Hopefully, I won't screw it up. Just a little warning, it could get graphic in later chapters. _Black, Grey, Gold_ is a far cry from what I usually write so go easy on me, aite? =) Please, please leave a review. Just so you know, I especially like _constructive_ criticism *hint hint* Right, so, here goes :

**Chapter 1**

Her grip on the handle of her luggage trolley tightened as she took in the scene before her. Had the world changed so much over the summer? Had it really only been a few months ago that Ron, Harry and herself had walked this way last? Merlin, it looked so different…

Hermione Granger worried her bottom lip, something she seemed to do a lot these troubled days. The smoke from the steam engine hung low around the Platform 9 and ¾'s, making it seem even more miserable. Every face seemed to wear the same expression. Fear and worry. Even the red of the Hogwart's Express had been tainted, looking faded, grayed. Bleak and morose, the platform seemed to reflect the rest of the wizarding world. She gave a sad sigh before pressing on towards the red steam engine as the horn sounded tiredly. Already this year seemed destined to be a miserable one. Miserable and _lonely_.

* * *

"Hey, man…"

Steel-grey eyes glanced up in answer, impatient to return to the book at hand.

"I'm heading to the Heads' compartment. Catch up with you when we arrive?"

Draco gave a disconcerted shrug and the compartment door slid shut.

* * *

"Greetings, Granger…"

The brunette looked up sharply from where she sat cross-legged on one of the two cushioned seats, scowling almost instantly when she recognized the face in the compartment doorway. She obviously wasn't very happy to see him, given he could have sworn he saw her hand inch towards her pocket. For her wand, no doubt.

"Zabini…" She answered with curt politeness.

Blaise leaned against the open doorway with his hands held up in mock surrender, a playful smirk tugged at his lips.

"I come in peace, love…" His smooth voice hinted an Italian lilt.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously for a moment before returning to the book in her lap. Satisfied that he wouldn't be hexed into oblivion by the Gryffindor witch, Blaise stepped inside, closing the compartment door behind him. He sighed as he dropped into the seat opposite hers, his hands behind his head and his legs stretched out lazily.

Silence ensued as Hermione ignored him and continuing her reading, leaving Blaise to gaze around the compartment. It was very much the same as the regular compartments on the Hogwart's Express. A good deal bigger and in better condition perhaps, with the usual two cushioned seats lining the wooden panels left and right of the sliding glass door.

Minutes of more silence went by. Whilst the Head Girl was engrossed with her book, her counterpart was quickly running out of things with which to amuse himself. Running a hand through his wavy, black hair, Blaise cast a side-ways glance at Hermione.

The girl had not moved an inch from her cross-legged position since he'd entered, brown eyes trained intensely on her book. Her wild curls had been tied back without much thought for neatness, stray tendrils of brown framing her delicate features prettily. Like himself, she was already dressed in her school robes. A pity really, he thought. He would have liked to see her in her regular attire. He'd seen her once, wearing a pair of Muggle wadyacallems… jeans, if he remembered the name correctly. Merlin… Those loose school robes she wore should be made illegal for hiding from public view her gorgeous legs. Not to mention her perfect, _fuckable_ -

"Is there something I can do for you, Zabini?"

Hermione's prim voice cut short his thoughts and Blaise realized he'd been caught staring. _Oops_… Rallying quickly, he gave her his very best smirk and was about to elaborate on exactly what he wanted her to do, only to be interrupted by a series of sharp raps on the glass door. The Head Girl stood up quickly to let the Prefects into their compartment for their meeting, shooting her counterpart a suspicious glare before providing Blaise with a very nice view of her behind as she bent to wrestle open the jammed door handle.

This year promised to be very interesting, Blaise thought silently, lounging back in his seat, his smirk never fading.

* * *

Draco rose to his feet as the train slowly came to a halt. He had been alone in the compartment since Blaise left. Very few of his old cronies had returned to Hogwart's this year, either because they feared the Dark Lord or because they had joined him. Wanting as little as possible to do with the War, Draco had managed to convince his father to allow him to return to Hogwart's as a spy. Blaise himself was not tied to either side of the battle that raged silently through the wizarding world and so, he too had returned.

The glass door slid open with ease and he stepped into the corridor. Jamming his hands in the pockets of his school robes, Draco walked towards the front of the train, hoping to meet up with his friend. He knew he struck quite an intimidating picture, walking down the corridor with his usual hard, stony expression. The extra inches he'd gain in height over the summer only added favourably to the effect. Draco was also well aware of how the other students shied away from him, of how they whispered rumours of last year's happenings to each other once he passed.

"As if I give a shit what they think!" He growled silently and viciously.

"Draco!"

Draco halted suddenly in his steps. He'd been so immersed in his own thoughts that he had passed right by the Head's Compartment. He turned to face Blaise with a smirk gracing his lips and he was about to say something when a brown-haired witch exited the compartment after Blaise. Draco's earlier anger dissolved instantly.

"Granger…" His spoke with surprise, almost to himself.

He had assumed she would be too busy tailing Wonder-Boy and Weasel to return to Hogwart's. Obviously not… Unless, her two lapdogs had returned to Hogwart's as well? Something told him they hadn't and that Hermione was on her own.

Hermione's golden-brown eyes found his as she turned to him sharply. She held his gaze for a brief moment, her expression a mix of confusion and surprise. Then, she nodded curtly and veered off quickly in the opposite direction, leaving the two Slytherins to stare after her.

"Fine piece of ass, isn't she…" Blaise commented conversationally, eyes never leaving the Head Girl's disappearing figure.

"She's a mudblood, Blaise…" Draco replied distractedly, straining a little to see where Hermione was heading.

Blaise glanced at his friend with a raised brow. A smirk formed as he saw Draco was still watching her with an expression that was definitely not disgust. The blonde obviously hadn't been speaking 'from the heart'.

He laughed lightly at the notion of Draco Malfoy having a heart, much less speaking it and put a firm hand on Draco's shoulder.

"Shall we?" he asked his companion amusedly.

With that, they made their way towards the throng of students that crowded the exit of the train.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note : **SORRY! I apologize profusely for the _forever_ that it took for me to get this up! Life got busy and then I went on holidays for a month (minus the laptop) I promise that I won't be abandoning this story! So, here's the next chapter… I really do hope its good enough to make up for the wait… Oh, and thank you _so_ much to everyone who reviewed and favorite-ed and what-ever-else-ed this fiction in its very first chapter! You cannot begin to imagine how much I appreciate it! Thank you!

**Chapter 2**

"_So_… Who's the Head Boy?" A voice broke the silence, trying and not quite succeeding in sounding conversational.

It had been getting far too quiet for Ginny Weasley's tastes. Since they'd seated themselves in the Great Hall, everyone seemed to have gone into a sort of silent shock. The vast Hall just felt so… incomplete. Even the stark lack of students was not as painfully obvious as the absence of the noise that had always been synonymous with mealtimes in the Great Hall. Gone were the happy grins, the loud jokes, the even louder laughter and the colliding of elbows as the food was passed along the House tables. It greatly unsettled everyone to see that even Hogwart's had not escaped the bleak change that had befallen the rest of the world.

Ginny glanced to the brunette beside her questioningly. With a grimace, Hermione answered her friend.

"Zabini."

The redhead's pretty brown eyes widened. Before she could speak, Parvati abandoned her spoon to her bowl of soup with a clatter, gaze wide and fixed on Hermione's.

"Zabini?? As in Blaise Zabini?"

Hermione gave her a small laugh. It was comforting to see that Parvati hadn't yet lost her penchant for dramatics. In fact, she seemed to be the least changed of the three Gryffindor girls that currently sat together. Hermione knew that Ginny had been terribly affected. The on goings of War had given the Weasley girl a rather cynical edge and the rare occasions during which she acted like her normal, bright and carefree self were fast becoming few and far between. Hermione worried for her friend.

"How many Zabini's do you know?" Ginny retorted, a hint of sting in her words.

Hermione gave the redhead a glare and a light kick in the ankles. Ruffled, Parvati scowled as she defended herself.

"I was surprised was all. I mean, Hermione has to share a dorm with him, doesn't she?"

"Oh Merlin, don't remind me… Imagine! A whole year of sharing a common room with Blaise Zabini, Prat Extraordinaire! It's going to be god-awful…" Hermione answered, her grumblings full of distaste.

Her words were met by Ginny's sympathetic look and then by Parvati's sudden gush of excitement.

"Awful? Merlin, Hermione are you out of your mind?! This is going to be brilliant! This could be the best thing that's ever happened to you!"

Hermione stared at her, dumbfounded. A moment of silence ensued before Hermione spoke.

"You're joking right?"

Although silent, Ginny's expression showed that she clearly was of the same opinion as Hermione.

"What? Don't look at me like that! Sweet Circe, have you _seen_ the guy? That thick, curly, dark hair. Those liquid black eyes! And his lips… _God_, he is so dreamy…" Parvati sighed with a smile.

Trust Parvati to see it _that_ way.

"Right, fine, so he's kind of cute! But he's still just so full of himself! He's a total asshole!" Hermione replied persistently.

"Asshole? Hermione, Draco Malfoy is an asshole. Blaise Zabini is a perfect gentleman! He's got _perfect_ manners and he is absolutely charming. And he just has this whole… _thing_ about him… I mean, just like, his attitude, y'know? And oh, that accent he has is just plain sexy! Merlin! I mean imagine the possibilities-"

"Okay, okay! We get it! You think the guy is sex on a stick. But Hermione isn't looking for anyone, are you Hermione?" Ginny cut short Parvati's tirade before looking pointedly at the brunette beside her.

Hermione glanced between the two girls, both looking expectantly at her.

"Well… Um…"

"She already has Ron." Ginny promptly informed Parvati, taking Hermione's hesitation for a 'yes'.

"Really? Oh that's brilliant, Hermione!" Parvati turned on her, grinning and obviously genuinely happy for her.

Hermione, on the other hand, seemed a little lost. Despite her high hopes, herself and Ron hadn't _quite_ gotten to a stage where they were officially anything. It seemed, however, that almost everyone at Grimauld Place had already made their assumptions. Ginny especially.

"You guys are together, right?" Ginny's eyes searched hers as she posed the question.

"Um… Kind of… I suppose…" Hermione answered hastily, avoiding the girl's gaze to reach for a bread roll to go with her soup.

* * *

"What if Granger is already in there?"

"Well, I dunno... I mean, it _is _her dorm too." Blaise replied with playful sarcasm.

Draco scowled, shoving the dark-haired boy away from him.

"Look Blaise, I don't think this is a good idea. She _really_ doesn't like me and honestly, I don't blame her. I... I'm going back to the common rooms." Draco ran a hand through his silver blond hair in exasperation before halting and veering go back the way they had just come.

Blaise rolled his eyes and made a grab for Draco's arm. Putting an arm over the blonde's shoulder, Blaise steered him firmly towards the Head's Quarters.

"I swear, you're such a fucking girl... - Ow!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

So recently I've been thinking a lot about this poor little story. It's been, what, two years? Wow... I do apologise, I know as well as anyone how painful an unfinished story is to a reader.

I've also noticed a couple of questions that popped up. It's set after the 6th book, an alternate story of sorts. Plans so far are for it to be an eventual Blaise/Hermione/Draco thing. Note the _eventual_. I do want their relationship to be a build up and am going to do my best with it.

Lastly (yes, yes, I know, 'shut up and get on with it') I'd just like to thank everyone for their reviews, favourites and whatnot. Honestly, I never thought this was that good, and it's only those constant email notifications I get that make me feel more 'gung ho' about continuing. Fingers crossed now!

**Chapter 3**

"Hi!"

Hermione froze, her gaze shifted slowly between the two Slytherins in her new common room. Blaise was sat on one of the two plush armchairs, looking very comfortable and (suspiciously, in Hermione's opinion) cheerful. Draco was standing stonily by the fireplace and was regarding her with a frustratingly unreadable expression. She let her attention settle on Blaise as she slowly stepped into the room.

"Hi…What is he doing here?"

She remained in her spot at the door, speaking hesitantly, perhaps even slightly defensively.

"Oh, Draco came over for a chat. With me. If that's alright…?"

Hermione could have slapped herself. _Well, duh. The two were friends weren't they? He's perfectly entitled to have friends over... _Recovering brusquely, she started for her bedroom.

"Right... Yes! Of course, sorry. I'll just… Well, yes... I'm going to go..."

"Good night, then, Granger."

"Good night, Zabini."

The door to the Head Girl's bedroom clicked shut and the two boys relaxed visibly. Draco moved to collapse on the sofa, having been frozen in his spot by the fireplace the whole time. He leaned back, loosening his tie just as Blaise kicked his feet up onto the coffee table.

"What, does she think we're going to murder her in her sleep or something?"

"I think that is exactly what she thinks, Zabini."

"…Right."

* * *

Ginny let out a particularly loud sigh. From her spot beside the red head, Hermione twisted her head to glance at her friend questioningly. The two were laid on top of Ginny's bed in the Gryffindor dorms.

"What is it?"

Turning also, Ginny pulled a face.

"Dinner. It was so... _quiet_. I hate how it's always so quiet."

Hermione hummed in agreement and returned to staring up at the canopy of the four poster bed.

"I must say though," Luna broke in from her borrowed perch on the bed beside Ginny's, "the Nargle infestation has improved. Has anyone else noticed? Much improved..."

Hermione smiled at this. Her words were so comfortingly 'Luna' that she welcomed their ridiculousness. Ginny remained silent.

The three had taken to congregating in the dorms like this since the first night back. Ginny hadn't been exaggerating about how quiet the castle now was. Meals were a depressing affair. Scatterings of students in the vast Hall, their every whisper and movements echoing awkwardly, reminding them constantly of what was missing, of _who_ was missing, and _why_. Everyone sought comfort where they could; sitting with the few friends they had left, disregarding Houses. The Slytherin table was unsurprisingly empty for most part.

It would have been nice, this integration of Houses, Hermione mused, if not for its cause.

The year had started slowly, like some sort of ancient machine, gears groaning painfully before sluggishly coming to some semblance of life. Laden with thought-occupying classes and time consuming homework, Hermione welcomed her new timetable like an old friend. It almost took her mind off of the two gaping holes she had in her life now.

At that moment, Parvati stepped through the door.

"Aren't you three a sorry looking lot!"

"Bugger off, Patil"

"Ginny..."

"Don't worry about it, Granger. Alright, Luna?"

Luna smiled back at the dark haired girl, who came to sit next to her. Parvati was often with her sister in the Ravenclaw dorms these days, Hermione knew it was because Lavender hadn't returned to Hogwart's. It was amazing how much best friends become a part of your everyday life. And how profoundly you feel their absence when they are not around.

"Well, Granger! It's been a few days now, time enough for you to spill!"

Hermione frowned questioningly, sitting up on her elbows to face her.

"About living with Zabini! Tell me you've helped yourself to a little bit of that gorgeous arse, or at least caught a couple of eyefuls of some man-parts!"

Parvati was waggling her eyebrows now, and grinning. Hermione laughed at her.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you, Patil. I hardly spend any time in the Head's rooms. To be honest... They make me very nervous..."

Hermione bit her lip in a grimace at this. She hated the fact that the mere presence of the two Slytherins threw her off so much. So much for Gryffindor courage!

"Wait... They?"

"Oh. Yes, Malfoy is permanently visiting us. It's delightful."

"Malfoy?!"

Ginny was sat bolt upright now, whirled on Hermione.

"It's hardly surprising then, that you're nervous if Malfoy is around all time. He was never really very nice to you... Or anyone really-," Luna began to muse as Ginny cut in.

"Yes _and_ hewas the one who let the Deatheaters in last year, _and_ helped kill Dumbledore! I don't even know why McGonagall even let him back in the school, much less in _your_ dorm room?!"

Hermione sat up too, brushing her wild hair behind her ears.

"_Professor_ McGonagall... I don't know, but there's definitely something different about him this year-,"

"Yes, he's a bloody _Deatheater_..."

"No, Ginny. I mean, yes, I know he is. But, he doesn't feel... threatening anymore. If that makes any sense at all?"

Hermione glanced around at the girls, with questions she couldn't quite put to words in her eyes. Parvati just shrugged apologetically, shaking her pretty head.

Luna spoke, "Why do you think he's back?"

"Probably to finish the job and kill us all?"

"I don't think so, Ginny. They wouldn't have let him in if he was a threat, surely?"

Hermione was frowning now; this had been on her mind since she'd first seen him on the train. There had been something about him then. A subdued, almost... defeated air about him. That's what had been unsettling her so much. Arsehole Draco Malfoy, she could deal with, but she had no idea how to react to him now.

"Yes well, I still think he's a slimy little bugger. You should talk to McGonagall about moving back in here with us, Hermione. If he and Zabini are that chummy, then living next to him cannot be safe."

Hermione gave Ginny a small smile. Ginny might be all fire and brimstone, but she was also fiercely loyal and caring. Hermione reached out and pulled her friend into a hug.

"I'll be alright, Gin. Professor McGonagall wouldn't have put the two of us in the same dorm if she didn't think I could handle it. Right, I'd better go, it's almost curfew and I have rounds to do. Are you coming with me, Luna?"

Hermione stood from the bed and Luna followed suit.

"Hermione? Look, I guess I could let you off the hook with Zabini, even though I still think you're passing up a very good opportunity. At least until we can be sure he's not out to kill you and all. But after that..."

Parvati was grinning and Hermione grinned back. Ginny merely rolled her eyes, and began rummaging around her trunk for her clothes.

"Thanks, Parvati. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Hermione. You too, Luna"

"Goodnight!"


End file.
